COLUMN: Sprint commercial at Covenant Village (video link)

Bill Williams

By Bill Williams

Published: Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 10:03 PM.

The fellow on the phone said that he was with the Sprint company and that he was looking for a place to shoot a commercial. He said that he had been told that Covenant Village might be what he wanted. He was talking to Tom Hauer, executive director at Covenant. Click HERE for video

The caller described what he sought — a nursing home with upscale tendencies, but not too upscale. He wanted to bring in a couple of NASCAR drivers and hoke it up enough to attract attention. The Sprint person visited the site, took pictures and liked what he saw and heard. Hauer also liked what he saw and heard and was pleased with the generous contribution the Sprint company would make to Covenant’s benevolent fund.

“They were pleased at the possibilities. It might have been just a bit upscale for their needs, and they had to temporarily replace some items, like signs, to make it fit their needs,” Hauer said.

Well, the deal was done, and on that morning when the shoot was to begin, the first wave of advance people moved in and took over.

That included lighting and sound specialists, photographers, make-up artists, cooks and chefs. The food people set up a mobile kitchen and eating place in the parking lot. They were there for three days. Hard-working people eat a lot, and they want it hot. Hauer had set aside certain times in the common areas for Sprint and its 90 people. On the days of shooting, Covenant employees and residents were advised about areas where they needed to be careful. And it would be a good idea not to tarry. They didn’t want to make visible people who were not supposed to be shown. Action began at the entrance. It began early in the morning and went on after the sun went down. The idea was to show top NASCAR drivers Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer a few years on down the road. They were old drivers by then. Still driving, however. They are shown in a nursing home (Sleepy Hollow) and were using Kitty-Car toys instead of today’s high-powered wheels that make thunder when they move. Still, they moved, and rather fast.

The 30-second commercial reaches a climax as the two retired drivers come barreling down the hallway that leads by the chapel entrance. By then, their small vehicles are bouncing off each other and also the walls. The race ends … and you get the feeling that these old fellows still have their competitive spirit as they have fun and head back to their rooms where lounge chairs await, along with a nap before going to bed. In the meantime, probably a dozen or more Covenant residents have had fun and have picked up some bucks each as they found out how it feels to briefly fill in a little spot in a big commercial.

What was the price tag that Sprint paid for those 30 seconds? I have no idea, but if you plan to stack those dollars inside a barn, you better have both doors open and two horses to go back and get the rest.

The fellow on the phone said that he was with the Sprint company and that he was looking for a place to shoot a commercial. He said that he had been told that Covenant Village might be what he wanted. He was talking to Tom Hauer, executive director at Covenant. Click HERE for video

The caller described what he sought — a nursing home with upscale tendencies, but not too upscale. He wanted to bring in a couple of NASCAR drivers and hoke it up enough to attract attention. The Sprint person visited the site, took pictures and liked what he saw and heard. Hauer also liked what he saw and heard and was pleased with the generous contribution the Sprint company would make to Covenant’s benevolent fund.

“They were pleased at the possibilities. It might have been just a bit upscale for their needs, and they had to temporarily replace some items, like signs, to make it fit their needs,” Hauer said.

Well, the deal was done, and on that morning when the shoot was to begin, the first wave of advance people moved in and took over.

That included lighting and sound specialists, photographers, make-up artists, cooks and chefs. The food people set up a mobile kitchen and eating place in the parking lot. They were there for three days. Hard-working people eat a lot, and they want it hot. Hauer had set aside certain times in the common areas for Sprint and its 90 people. On the days of shooting, Covenant employees and residents were advised about areas where they needed to be careful. And it would be a good idea not to tarry. They didn’t want to make visible people who were not supposed to be shown. Action began at the entrance. It began early in the morning and went on after the sun went down. The idea was to show top NASCAR drivers Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer a few years on down the road. They were old drivers by then. Still driving, however. They are shown in a nursing home (Sleepy Hollow) and were using Kitty-Car toys instead of today’s high-powered wheels that make thunder when they move. Still, they moved, and rather fast.

The 30-second commercial reaches a climax as the two retired drivers come barreling down the hallway that leads by the chapel entrance. By then, their small vehicles are bouncing off each other and also the walls. The race ends … and you get the feeling that these old fellows still have their competitive spirit as they have fun and head back to their rooms where lounge chairs await, along with a nap before going to bed. In the meantime, probably a dozen or more Covenant residents have had fun and have picked up some bucks each as they found out how it feels to briefly fill in a little spot in a big commercial.

What was the price tag that Sprint paid for those 30 seconds? I have no idea, but if you plan to stack those dollars inside a barn, you better have both doors open and two horses to go back and get the rest.

Bill Williams is a former editor of The Gazette and writes a weekly column.